US: 4 officers shot dead in North Carolina, police say

Four officers were killed following a shootout near a house in an eastern suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said on Tuesday.

A person who is suspected to have fired at the officers from the house was pronounced dead at the scene, while two further shooters had been taken in for questioning, police said.

"Tragically, there were three members of the US Marshals Task Force who were pronounced deceased. Four CMPD officers were shot, one of whom is in critical condition in hospital, fighting for his life," CMPD chief Johnny Jennings told a press conference.

The fourth CMPD officer, Joshua Eyer, succumbed to his wounds a few hours later, Jennings said later, adding that Eyer had been named the officer of the month just a few weeks ago.

"He certainty gave his life and dedicated his life to protecting our citizens," Jennings said, lamenting "a tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement."

Charlotte shooting: What do we know?

Officers were attempting to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon when they were fired upon from the house, Jennings said.

They returned fire, and the suspect was killed in the front yard. The officers then took gunfire from inside of the house, leading to a three-hour stand-off before it was cleared by a SWAT team with the help of armored vehicles a couple of hours later.

A woman and a 17-year-old male were found in the home along with a high-powered rifle, Jennings said.

"Today we lost some heroes who were out to just keep our community safe. This is an example of what we try to tell people every single day: that when we put on this uniform, we don't have any guarantees that we'll return home," he said.

Local resident Kiashia Williams said she was driving home when she heard several shots a few seconds apart.

"Ambulances, police and everything everywhere just started rushing down," she told the Associated Press news agency as she waited in her car to be allowed to return home.

Biden briefed on situation

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said he was in contact with law enforcement in Charlotte and offered any state resources to help.

US President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and has spoken with Governor Cooper, the White House said.

mf/rm (AP, Reuters)